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Battle Point Park - East Lake Osakis

Todd County assumed ownership of the park property known as Battle Point in May of 1977. A park improvement plan was developed and the initial park improvements began between 1983 and 1985. The first improvements included the development of the boat ramp and parking lot. According to project documents, prior to the parking lot work an Archeological Study was completed and nothing of historical value was found.

Battle Point County Park is located in southwestern Todd County along the eastern shore of Lake Osakis. The park is approx. 10 acres in size and forms a peninsula into Lake Osakis. According to the 1983 Todd County Park and Recreation Management Plan in the pre-settlement years Sioux and Chippewa Indians occupied the area and many battles were fought between them. The most recently recorded battle describes a confrontation in 1866 resulting in many casualties at the water's edge of Lake Osakis.

Public Park and Recreation inventories have been conducted and included in countywide plans developed over the past several years including the Todd County Community Based Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2001, a Blandin funded Campbell Study, and the Todd County Parks, Trails and Open Space Plan. Each of those studies identified a need for public recreation opportunities in Todd County, and making improvements to Battle Point Park was prioritized in each of the planning processes.

In 2004 and 2005 meetings were held and attended by Lake Osakis area residents along with Todd County staff to discuss Osakis Area Recreation Projects. The first project identified by this group to work on was to make improvements to Battle Point Park. The list of enhancements included the need for a fishing pier. Following the fishing pier were additional boat launches, picnic tables, picnic shelter, upgraded restrooms, running water, trash cans and signage.

The Todd County Board of Commissioners had the property boundary of Battle Point Park surveyed and marked in 2005 for the purpose of identifying park boundaries and to create a base map for future enhancements.

The Todd County Board of Commissioners created a County Park and Trail Board in 2008. The current board consists of two County Commissioners, and seven citizen representatives , one from each of the Commissioner Districts and two A-Large.